When the Phoenix Suns selected Alex Len with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, they envisioned a game-changing center who could develop into a strong scoring option on the block and a rim-protecting presence on the other end. But ankle and knee injuries limited Len to 42 games as a rookie and a fractured pinky sidelined him for pretty much the entire NBA Summer League.
Essentially, the Suns don’t quite have a clear picture of what Len has to offer yet.
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In a summer trade with the Indiana Pacers before the 2013-14 season, general manager Ryan McDonough fleeced Larry Bird by shipping away Luis Scola for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a draft pick. Green was instant offense off the bench for the Suns and stepped up when Eric Bledsoe went down with a knee injury, but Sky Miles was just as impressive, emerging as a decent starting center who could run the floor, throw down high-flying alley oops and earn his keep with hustle points.
Still, Plumlee is a bit of a raw talent, and after debuting to an 18-point, 15-rebound, 3-block game to start the 2013-14 season, Sky Miles’ numbers would start to dip with each passing month. He was still capable of showcasing his surprising athleticism with highlight reel plays on a nightly basis, but as the season progressed it became abundantly clear he might not be the long-term answer at center.
This became a question when a healthy Len began to receive consistent minutes off the bench: Should the Phoenix Suns jump the gun and transition from Miles Plumlee to the promising but injury-prone young rookie?
At the time, the answer was simple: leave Plumlee in there. Though Frequent Flyer Miles might not have as high a ceiling as Len, he was more NBA-ready at the time and the Suns were in hot pursuit of one of the final playoff spots in the West. Plumlee gave them the best chance to get there.
Wednesday night in Phoenix’s season opener, however, Len looked as NBA-ready as he ever has. His final stat line of three points, five rebounds and one block in 19 minutes doesn’t even come close to doing him justice; Len logged most of his minutes with the starters — Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris — while challenging everything that came his way in the paint.
He only recorded one block, but he altered a ton of shots in the lane. His long arms were able to tip a few loose balls to teammates for rebounds and his contest on a Kobe Bryant shot led to a technical foul when the Black Mamba yelled at the ref looking for a foul. Any player that can frustrate Kobe Bryant to the point of drawing a technical is all right with Phoenix Suns fans.
Plumlee had a much better night on the stat sheet, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, one block and one steal in 25 minutes as the starter. He shot 5-for-7 from the floor and finished with a plus/minus differential of +2. Easily the better night, right?
Maybe. Because while Plumlee did his job as the starter and was efficient from the floor, most of his points came from easy dump-offs that led to wide open dunks. And although Len’s basic stat line doesn’t really stand out, his plus/minus differential of +25 in 19 minutes speaks volumes about how valuable he could become and how well he fit with the starters in his season opener.
At this time, it’s hard to say that Len deserves the starting spot over Plumlee. The Suns need some athleticism and bounce at that position in their starting lineup and though Sky Miles is flawed as a post scorer and interior defender, he’s also still only 26 years old and has room for growth as well. One game out of 82 doesn’t make or break a season, so even though the day may come this year when Plumlee should no longer start, we still need to see Len produce and stay healthy first.